Signal



April 12, 11938. I o. H. HERSHMAN Z 2,113,759

SIGNAL Original Filed May 8, 1935 Patented Apr. 12, 1938 Uliti'iiiD @TATES PATENT @i i iilfi Application May 8, 1935, Serial No. 20,325 Renewed September 3, 1937 12 Claims.

My invention relates to highway signals or other signs embodying light-reflecting elements arranged in predetermined pattern and constitutes a development of the invention set forth 5 and described in my c-pending application Serial No. 719,815, filed April 10, 1934. It is the object of my present invention to provide in a sign embodying a plurality of light-reflecting elements a suitable spacing means through the use of which the reflecting elements may be held in proper spaced relation and at the same time arranged in a predetermined pattern. More specifically, it is my object to produce a chain or series of interconnected reflector buttons which will be more flexible than that disclosed in' my aforesaid prior application. Among the other objects of the present invention are to simplify and cheapen the construction of'the chain, to prevent unauthorized removal of thereflector buttons therefrom, and to prevent unauthorized removal of the chain as a whole from the panel on which it is mounted.

In carrying out the present inventiony'I form the reflector buttons with body portions of circular cross-section, and I mount on each button a pair of link-member's, each of the link-members on any of such buttons being pivotally connected to one of the link-members of an adjacent button of the chain. The two link-members associated with each button are swingable relatively to each other, as about the axis of the button; but it is not essential that both link-members be swingable relatively to the button itself, as one of them may be non-rotatably secured thereto. The link-members are provided with openings for the reception of screws or nails which pass through them and into a suitable supporting panel. In some embodiments of my invention, the pivot elements interconnecting the link-111E111" bers of adjacent buttons may be in the form of hollow eyelets through which the fastening means pass, but in other arrangements the fastening means may pass through holes in the link-members displaced from their axis of pivotal connec- 45. tion.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention; Fig. 1' is a fragmental plan view of a sign or highway warning signal; Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts thereof broken away on the line AL-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the chain slightly modified in form; Fig. 4 is a section on the line k-4 of Fig. 3;. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a still further modification; Fig. 6

is a section on the line tt of Fig. 5; Fig; '7 is an 65. elevation of another modification of my invention; and Fig. 8 is a detailed view illustrating one of the link-members used in the chain shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

When in use, my invention will usually be associated'with a support in the form of a panel iii bearing characters or other indicia it which are to be outlined in light-reflecting units. In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the light-reflecting units are in the form of reflector buttons each having a body-portion l2 and a lens it. Each of the body-portions i2 is provided with an outwardly extending annular flange it against which is seated a link-member 55. In rear of the link-member i5 is a second link-member H5. The rear portion of the button-body i2 is enclosed in a cup-shaped casing 6'! held in place thereon by a nut it on a stud which projects rearwardly from the button-body. If desired, the cup i?! may be larger in diameter than the button-body #2 to provide an annular space for the reception of a compression spring 253 which acts between the bottom of the cup ll and the link it, creates a certain amount of friction between the links is, and acts to take up any lostmotion.

The link on each reflector button is pivotally connected to the link it on an adjacent reflector button by means of a pivot member 22. In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,

' the pivot members 22 are in the form of hollow eyelets through which pass nails or screws 23 by means of which the chain is secured to the panel it.

In order to secure the maximum flexibility in the chain, the links it and lie associated with each reflector button are swingable relatively to each other about the button axis; and both, if desired, may" be freely swingable relatively to the button itself. With such an arrangement, it is possible to arrange the chain so that a reflector-button will be located at the apex of the 7 angle between two meeting chain-stretches, as

indicated at A in Fig. 1.

The chain illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is generally similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 except for the means employed to retain the links I5 and it on the buttons. In this arrangement, the links it seat against the rear face of the flange it, as in the case of the chain shown in Figs. ii and 2. The links it, however, in rear of the links themselves carry the means by which they are retained in association with the reflector buttons. To this end, each of the links it is provided with a hexagonal opening opposite sides of which are continued in the form of slits 25 (see Fig. 8) defining short inwardly projecting tongues 25 each having a wide ,V-shaped notch in its inner end. As formed, the distance between the inner ends of the tongues 25' is slightly less than that necessary for the reception of the button-body I2; and as a result, when a button is forced into a link Hi, the two tongues 25' are bent out of the plane of the link, as indicated in Fig. 4. Preferably, the links are formed of a material somewhat harder than the buttonbodies; so that upon an attempt to withdraw a button from association with the chain the sharp inner edges of the tongues 25 bite into the button-body l2 and prevent such removal.

In the case of the chain shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the links 56 will not be freely rotatable relatively to the button-bodies; but each link 15 will be freely rotatable relatively to both the buttonbody and the associated link It. As in the case of the chain shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each link I5 of the chain shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is pivotally connected to the link It on an adjacent button, as by means of a hollow eyelet 22.

In the chain shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each link l5, instead of being located against the rear face of the flange M, is co -planar with such flange, while the link it seats against the rear face of the flange. In this chain, each button has associated with it a locking link 26 seated against the front face of the flange E4. The link E5 of each button is received between the two links [6 and 26 of the adjacent button and is pivotally connected thereto by a pivot member ii. The pivot member 2?, in this instance, is shown as having an axial extent sufficient to engage the front face of the panel iii, and thus serves as a spacing member and as a protection for the fastening member 23. The outer end of the pivot member is reduced in diameter to provide a shoulder against which the associated link It seats, while the extreme outer end of the pivot member is riveted over the link 26.

In the chain shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the buttonbodies 52 are shown as provided with casings 28 held in place by a bayonet-lock. The chief differenoe between the construction shown in. Figs. 1 and 2 on the one hand and Figs. 5 and 6 on the other is that in the former removal of the casing i? permits withdrawal of the reflector buttons, while in the latter the presence of the looking link 26 prevents withdrawal of the button even if the casing 23 is removed.

The chain shown in Fig. 7 is substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 except that the links i5 are of greater effective length. Each link I 5 is connected to the link it of the adjacent button by a pivot 39, here shown as a solid pivot, and between the pivot 39 and the body of the button on which it is mounted, each link I5 is provided with an opening 3i for the reception of a nail or screw adapted to hold the chain against the face of the panel.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons, a pair of links mounted on each reflector button and swingable relatively to each other about the axis of the button, and means pivota-lly connecting the outer end of each of said links with the outer end of one of the links on an adjacent button.

2. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons, a pair of links mounted on each reflector button and swingable relatively to each other, and means pivotally connecting the outer end of each of said links with the outer end of one of the links on an adjacent button.

3. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons, each of said buttons having a cylindrical body portion provided with an outwardly extending annular flange, a link rotatably mounted on said body and seated against said flange, a second link superposed on said first link and also rotatably mounted on said body, a spring acting between said body and said second link for forcing it toward said flange, and means pivotally connecting the outer end of each of said links with the outer end of one of the links on an adjacent button.

4. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons, each of said buttons having a cylindrical body portion provided with an outwardly extending annular flange, a pair of links disposed on opposite sides of said flange and having alined openings of smaller diameter than said flange for the reception of the reflector button, a third link disposed between said pair of links and having an opening for the reception of said flange, and means for pivotally securing said pair of links to the third link of an adjacent button.

5. In a sign, a chain formed of a series of pivotally interconnected links, a plurality of reflector buttons each provided with an outwardly extending annular flange, said links being provided with openings, the reflector buttons being positioned in said openings with a link seated against one side of the flange on each button, and a guard link seated against the opposite side of the flange on each button and secured to the link on the other side of the flange.

6.,The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition that one link on each button. is provided with an opening between its associated button and its point of pivotal connection to the link on an adjacent button, a supporting panel, and supporting means passing through each of said openings and into said panel.

7. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons, each of said buttons having a cylindrical body portion provided with an outwardly extending annular flange, a link rotatably mounted on said body and seated against said flange, a second link superposed on said first link and having an opening for the reception of its associated reflector button, opposite portions of the periphery of said opening being defined by the notched inner ends of two opposed tongues integral with said second link, said tongues sloping away from said first link and toward the associated button and having their notched inner edges bearing firmly against each button, and means pivotally connecting the outer end of each of said links with the outer end of one of the links on another button.

8. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons, each of said buttons having a cylindrical body portion provided with an outwardly extending annular flange, a link rotatably mounted on said body and seated against said flange, a second link superposed on said first link and having an opening for the reception of its associated reflector button, a portion of the periphery of said opening being defined by the notched inner end of a tongue integral with said second link, said tongue sloping away from said first link and toward the associated button and having its notched inner edge bearing firmly against each button, and means pivotally connecting the outer end of each of said links with the outer end of one of the links on another button.

9. In a sign, a panel, a plurality of reflector buttons each having a lens at one end, a pair of substantially plane links mounted on each button adjacent the lens end thereof and swingable relatively to each other, a pivot member pivotally interconnecting one link of each button to a link of an adjacent button, said pivot members being hollow and extending into engagement with the face of said panel, and supporting members extending through said hollow pivot members and into said panel.

10. In a sign, a panel, a flexible chain composed of a series of substantially plane links and hollow pivot members interconnecting said links, reflector buttons carried by said chain and having body portions extending rearwardly therefrom, said pivot members extending rearwardly from said links beyond the rear ends of the buttons and into engagement with said panel, and. supporting members extending through said pivot members and into said panel.

11. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons each having a cylindrical body portion, links mounted on said body portion and swingable relatively to each other about the axis of the buttons, one of said links being longer than the other, the shorter of said links being provided with an opening extending therethrough and the longer of said links being provided with a plurality of such openings, and means extending through openings in the links of adjacent buttons for connecting said buttons together.

12. In a sign, a plurality of reflector buttons each having a cylindrical body portion, a pair of cars projecting radially outward from each of said buttons, one of said ears being longer than the other, the shorter of said ears being provided with an opening therethrough and the longer of said ears with a plurality of such openings, and means extending through openings in the ears of adjacent buttons for connecting said buttons together.

OKLA H. HERSI-IMAN. 

